High Teenage Pregnancy Rate Leaves KwaZulu-Natal Government Concerned

• The surprising number of teenage pregnancies in KwaZulu-Natal has left many concerned about the country’s youth
• Provincial Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane and Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube visited several hospitals and expressed concern
• Childline KwaZulu-Natal believes that the “blesser phenomenon” also needs to be challenged to prevent teen pregnancy

DURBAN - The high number of teenage pregnancies has raised alarm bells for the KwaZulu-Natal local government.

Provincial Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane and Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube visited several hospitals to meet the mothers who gave birth on Christmas and New Year’s Day. At least 341 babies were born on Sunday, 1 January, with the youngest mother in the province being 15 years old.

Simelane said a blind eye could not be turned on teenage pregnancy. According to the Daily Sun, the MEC encouraged parents to speak to their children about the consequences of teenage pregnancy.

Read also

Proud dad Zingah welcomes his bundle of joy: "The greatest gift was delivered to me"

Meanwhile, Childline KwaZulu-Natal believes more needs to be done to tackle the problem. The organisation’s acting director Adeshini Naicker told IOL that the rate of teen pregnancies is shocking.

She said it was sad to see so many young girls at hospitals give birth on New Year’s Day. Naicker also said that some of the young mothers were victims of sexual abuse.

The acting director also slammed the “blesser phenomenon” that contributes to the high number of teenage pregnancies. She said parents, teachers, peers and others in positions of authority need to instil a strong ethical compass in the youth.

Christmas time cheer: Over 500 babies delivered on Christmas Day across South Africa

Briefly News reported that the Department of Health welcomed over 500 babies born between midnight and midday on Christmas Day across the country.

Read also

Mzansi moms celebrate as they welcome 509 newborns on New Year’s Day, South Africans weigh in: “Too many”

The majority of the babies were delivered in Gauteng, while Limpopo and Mpumalanga recorded some of the first childbirths. Healthy babies were also born at exactly midnight in the Voortrekker Hospital in Mokopane and Themba Hospital in Kabokweni.

The Department of Health congratulated the parents and healthcare professionals for delivering the little ones. MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo–Ralehoko celebrated the Christmas time cheer.

Source: Briefly News